66 "If, where the rules not far enough extend, (Since rules are made but to promote their end) "Some lucky licence answers to the full "'Th'intent propos'd, that Licence is a rule. "Thus Pegafus, a nearer way to take, 66 May boldly deviate from the common track. "From vulgar bounds with brave disorder part, "And fnatch a grace beyond the reach of art. "Which without paffing thro' the judgment, "gains “The heart, and all its end at once attains." The effayift, before mentioned, has cenfured the foregoing illustration; where, as he observes, there is evidently a blameable mixture of metaphors, the attributes of the horse and the writer being confounded. The former, fays he, may be juftly faid to take a nearer way," and to "deviate from a track;" but how can a horse "fnatch a grace," or gain a heart?" To this, however, it may be answered, that Pegafus is here used only as a generic name for poetry. And the poet evidently intended to have wrote--for Pegafus.---But by faying---thuş Pegasus---he makes a fimilitude of what he only defigned for the explanation of a precept. Our poet adds, that if we must offend against the precept, we ought never to tranfgrefs the end: and that we fhould, at least, have the pre cedent of the antients to juftify us "Let it be feldom, and compell'd by need; "And have, at least, their PRECEDENT to plead." This must be confidered as a precept of prudence only, and to avoid cenfure: for surely it is debafing genius to fhackle it with the fetters of PRECEDENT. Irregular ftrokes, audacter fumpta, will always be juftified by the natural effects they produce, though there fhould be no precedent to plead for them. If these effects will not vindicate them, the difpenfing power of the antients will plead in vain. It is admirably obferved by a writer of true original genius*, that we might expect to learn the principles of the arts from the artists themfelves; but, fays he, they have been too much occupied in the practice, and have fought the rules of the arts in the wrong place; they have fought it among poems, pictures, &c.-" But," he continues," art can never give the rules that "make an art. This is, I believe, the reafon why artists in general, and poets principally, "have been confined within fo narrow a circle; "they have been rather imitators of one "another, than of nature; and this with fo “faithful an uniformity, and to fo remote an "antiquity, that it is hard to fay who gave the "firft model. Critics follow them, and there * The author of a Philofophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. "fore "fore can do little as guides. I can judge but poorly of any thing, whilft I measure it by <c other ftandard than itself. The true ftand"ard of the arts is in every man's power, and an easy obfervation of the most common, "fometimes of the meaneft things in nature, "will give the trueft lights, where the greateft fagacity and industry, that flights fuch obfer"vation, muft leave us in the dark, or what is "worse, amuse and mislead us by falfe lights." Our poet, however, the better to enforce the authority of the antients, endeavours to vindicate them from the presumptuous cenfure of modern critics. "I know there are, to whofe prefumptuous "thoughts "Thofe freer beauties, ev'n in them, feem faults. "Some figures monftrous and mif-fhap'd "appear, "Confider'd fingly, or beheld too near, "Which, but proportion'd to their light, or "place, "Due distance reconciles to form and grace." This juft and ftriking metaphor, is nicely appropriated to illuftrate the fentiment; and is, perhaps, the best apology that can be offered for the feemingly bold deviations of the antients. Transported with their beauties, he breaks out into a kind of rapturous exclamation, on contemplating the rare felicity of those few who ftill ftand ftand green with bays; and turns towards their manes, in the following moft admirable apoftrophe : "Hail, Bards triumphant! born in happier days; "Immortal heirs of univerfal praise ! "And worlds applaud that must not yet be "O may fome spark of your celeftial fire, "Glows while he reads, but trembles as he "To teach vain Wits a science little known, "T'admire fuperior fenfe, and doubt their 66 own!" In thefe beautiful lines, the poet appears, as the commentator ftrongly expreffes it, "with "the humility of a Suppliant at the fhrine of "Immortals, and the fublimity of a Poet par"ticipating of their fire." There is not, I believe, a ftronger indication of true genius, than the enthufiaftic veneration with which an 'early candidate for literary fame, looks up towards those who have reached thofe arduous heights, to which his ambition afpires. A cold phlegmatic genius, defpairing to foar to fuch an exalted pitch, beholds their towering pre-eminence, with languid and unemulating regard. The rules for perfecting the art of criticism, having been set forth in the first part, the causes tending to impede its perfection are next ex- ' plained. Of these the first "Is Pride, the never-failing vice of fools. "Whatever Nature has in worth deny'd, "She gives in large recruits of needful Pride; "For as in bodies, thus in fouls, we find "What wants in blood and spirits, fwell'd with "wind: Pride, whereWit fails, fteps in to our defence, "And fills up all the mighty Void of fenfe. "If once right reafon drives that cloud away, "Truth breaks upon us with refistless day.. "Truft not yourself; but your defects to know, "Make use of ev'ry friend---and ev'ry foe." The fimile here employed to fhew the resemblance between an inflated mind and a bloated body, is the most happy that could be conceived. Superficial learning is the next cause which our author expofes. He advises the critic to "Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.” At the same time, he points out the labours and difficulties attending the progress towards feience, which he aptly illuftrates in the following lines. "So |